LinkedIn has made it incredibly easy to endorse other users' skills. A big blue box at the top of everyone's profile asks "Does Ms. X have these skills or expertise?" This may have led others to endorse you for skills which may or may not be your specialty. And, more important for advisors, this may result in endorsements you simply cannot have. (Remember, you can always accept or decline an endorsement by choosing "Add to profile" or "Skip.")

Upon receiving an endorsement, whether relevant or not, you may have wondered whether you are expected to reciprocate. The answer is not necessarily. The generally accepted etiquette is to endorse the skills of another user only if you can attest to the recommendation with 100-percent confidence. When it comes to endorsements, quality trumps quantity.

It is a good idea to take an endorsement as an opportunity to build your relationship with the endorser. Take a moment to send her a personal message. This adds value to an otherwise offhanded click of the mouse and creates an opportunity for dialogue.